Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

When Anya first started her nursery school, Vai was 16 months old and we both sent Anya to school (every school day for one whole year).

Yesterday, Anya (who’ll start school this Thursday) and I sent Vai to school.

Anya’s first few days at nursery school was rather … traumatic. She’s okay if I was around, but by the third day she went hysterical when I had to leave her with the teachers. It was totally heart-breaking! (read more about it HERE and what we did to make her feel less anxious about school)

This time I went a little more prepared if somehow my second kid didn’t like the idea of school too or something.

We reached the school 15 minutes early, went to the ‘waiting room’ (where all kids gathered before going off to their respective classes).

And.

Vai refused to let go off my hands, and kept on telling me how he’s really tired and wanted to sleep!

He freaked out and gave me a super sad face when they all had to line up and walk to class.

Basically, throughout the 1.5 hours he’s there yesterday, he’s okay if I was like, no more than 5m away from him *smile*

[It’ll be back to the usual 3-hour session starting this Thursday, where all Kindergarten students start school too, including Anya]

I’ve heard of other friends’ kids who, on their very first day of school, calmly waved good-bye to their parents, independently walked into class and settled down well.

Not quite the case for my two kids’ first few days of school apparently, haha.

Ah anyway. I’d love to see how Vai settles down in the end.

And how he grows to love the idea of school.

Because I know he will, just like how Anya felt totally okay with school after those first few ‘unhappy’ weeks at nursery school.

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Here’s a shot of him looking really happy.

Because, I was only 1m away from him! Haha.

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So how did it go with your kid’s first day of school yesterday?

[Vai smiling happily at the school’s playground today]

Today is the first day of school for most kids in Singapore.

(And, the first day of nursery school if the child turns four years of age this year, like Vai)

And so today, I thought of sharing with you five different quotes on education which I personally find interesting and inspiring.

Here they are:

“Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction.”
Anne Sullivan

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”
James Baldwin

“Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”
Mortimer Adler

““Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”
Chinese Proverb

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Any other quotes on education you’d like to share too perhaps?

1. Check out at least a few books, before slowly moving away from them

2. Here I’m using TWO plastic chairs at the National Library (the one near Bugis MRT station). They’re the best!

3. Place your head at one end of the chair, while slowly covering your legs with the other.

4. Pull the other chair till it touches the end of the chair above your head. Remember to stay still when you see suspecting passers-by around.

5. And VOILA! You’ve made yourself disappear!

And NO ONE would know there’s a 3yo boy INSIDE!

(Err … better hide my fingers next time, though)

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Have fun, and please do attempt this trick under your parent’s supervision.

Cheers,
Vai

If someone were to ask, ‘What are you grateful for?’, what would our answer be?

Would we only remember ‘spectacular’ incidents?
(eg. the time when we were NEARLY involved in an accident but was spared from it, or the time when many people at work were retrenched EXCEPT me / my spouse)

Or would we remember to be grateful for our ‘everyday-ness’ ?
(eg. the fact that we can wake up in the morning healthy and well, or the fact that we still receive a paycheck at the end of the month – if you’re working fulltime)

Many of us have the tendency to only be grateful for ‘more spectacular’ incidents in life.

But, not quite for simple ‘everyday things’ in life.

And, we have the tendency to not relate our everyday-ness with God’s presence. That they’re in fact blessings from above, however simple they may seem.

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Those who find it hard to relate their ‘everyday-ness’ with God’s presence and goodness will surely find it hard to praise God too for His goodness and blessings the way the psalmist below did:

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

Psalm 103:1-2

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As we begin our days this year, let’s remember to be grateful to God for simple everyday things, however UN-spectacular they may seem.

Let’s count our blessings.

[This post is based on my personal reflection upon listening to Rev. Dr. Billy Kristanto’s sermon today]

Shared this happy photo on Facebook earlier *smile*

Thanks to our friend, ‘Willson’, who took this shot (soon after Gurmit Singh went three … two … one … Happy New Year Singapoooore, on TV), because … our hubby-wifey photo collection is very VERY little!

Anyway.

Look forward to going through the different kinds of ups and downs this year will bring. Together. As a team.

First day of the year 2010.

Fire sparklers. Friends. Sports. Fellowship.

Bedok Reservoir at night.

Beautiful.

Blessed.

[Left to right: Ashley, Nate and Vai. The other kids, including Anya, watched from a distance]

And here is a combined version of our successful ‘fire sparklers’ attempt!

Love it.

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So how did you spend your first day of the year?

I hope you managed to spend some time with your loved ones too.

And here’s my other wish:
Hope your 365 days this year be filled with more gratefulness towards each and every blessing we abundantly receive every day.

Happy New Year!

When it comes to eating places, things are generally run ‘properly’ here in Singapore. I mean, the government even comes up with ‘gradings’ for the stalls’ cleanliness (the National Environment Agency reviews each of the stalls)

In Indonesia however, well … I must say it’s quite an ‘adventure’ when it comes to food and eating places there.

[But I guess that’s where it gets interesting!]

During our recent visit to Indonesia, we all went to Bandung with Wilson’s family. And one of the places we wanted to visit is ‘Kawah Putih’ (ie. The White Crater, a really beautiful lake up on a mountain).

But, it’s December and it’s the monsoon season. So, though we wished it didnt’, it DID rain heavily when we’re driving up.

AND, for some reasons, they were fixing the road (on that busy Saturday morning!) and the traffic was super slow.

We were all hungry by the time we’re even half way up, and since it’s not possible to see anything anyway due to the heavy rain and fog, we decided to just get something to eat while we’re there.

And so we all ate at a ‘Warung’ (there were like, ten of different ones next to each other there)

Now, just in case you’re not familiar with what Warung is, here’s a quick definition from wikipedia:

A warung (old spelling waroeng) is a type of small family owned business — often a casual, usually outdoor restaurant — in Indonesia.

I won’t quite call it a ‘restaurant’ though. It’s basically a really humble and simple eating place, generally found on a street side.

I can’t remember the last time I actually sat and ate in a warung. Usually when we’re in Indonesia, we go and eat out at food courts or restaurants (from simple to fancy ones).

So, to actually sit and eat in one while we’re there recently (a relatively spacious one too!), it was a totally new experience especially for the kids!

The roof was leaking. We sat on a wooden plank. No cement flooring, just … damp soil. And we simply needed to ‘extend’ our arms out and wash our hands ‘in the rain’ outside, haha.

[Btw, they say, it’s better to NOT look at how the food is prepared there, hehe … but hey, the satays were really nice! I just hope they’re real ‘chicken’ though, haha]

Anyway.

It’s something that we can’t find here in Singapore and it’s exactly the kind of simplicity I want the kids to see and experience!

It was good.

And you know what.

We wouldn’t have ended up eating there, if it hadn’t rained.

So, no, we didn’t get to see the beautiful White Crater, but we had a different kind of experience instead.

And I have the rain to thank for it.

[Just in case you’re wondering, no … none of us got a stomach ache during our recent trip to Indonesia *smile*]

[An old photo I found! Taken in February 2008! Kids LOVE it when Daddy starts to doodle. Anya was close to 4yo, and Vai was just 1.5yo]

Last August, I was very ill for a few days. I was incapable of uttering audible words nor carrying out the usual things around the house. And, I still remember how Wilson was there a lot for us.

He helped out with some of the housework. He cooked and helped in taking care of the kids (bathing, getting them ready for bed, etc).

It all may sound really simple, but I really thank God for the things he did.

His support when I really needed it was really appreciated.

And I’m sure our kids noticed it all and learned from their Daddy too.

All this reminded me of a book by Dr. Kevin Leman called ‘What a Difference a Daddy Makes‘.

And I thought of sharing parts of his discussion on ‘A Father Who is There’ with you today.

(It’s an excellent book btw. If you know of any Daddies, especially if they have daughters, you may want to get them to read this book!)

Happy reading.

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[Kids and Daddy sank their feet into the pond water and checked out this shaky ‘bamboo float’ during our stay at San Gria Resort and Spa in Bandung, Indonesia, earlier this month]

Ask our kids some 15 years down the road about what they remember the most about growing up in our home.

What do you think they’ll say?

Do they remember about the time spent with us?

Children treasure their moments spent with us, or in this case, with their Dads. And it’s not a surprise if what they remember the most about their childhood is simple things like, the times when they regularly play silly games with Dad before bedtime, or the time when their Dad took them to school on a rainy day.

Kids need to spend time with us (read: dads too).

Have dinner together. Make daddy-kids playtime a regular thing.

Only routine, quality and regularity can build a healthy sense of belonging.

The daddy who makes sacrifices in the name of relationship will be rewarded. The man who passes up the position that will bolster his income by twelve thousand dollars a year but send him out on the road for weeks at a time, the man who makes the choice to put relationship above everything else and who chooses to be present in the home, will make a profound difference in the lives of his children, especially his daughters.

A child will learn to see and treasure his/her father’s presence over time.

Father-affirmation isn’t accomplished in one big moment. Relationship isn’t a seamless concrete highway; it’s more like a gravel walkway, built by adding one tiny stone after another, one little deposit of time, one gesture of concern, one offering of sympathy.

Our children need daddies who is there for them.